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Characters like Karin from Naruto are an interesting topic because she is one of the most divisive characters in the entirety of Masashi Kishimoto's franchise. Karin used to work for Orochimaru but eventually joined Sasuke Uchiha's Taka team because he saved her when they were kids. It was eventually revealed that she is part of the Uzumaki clan, thus being related to Naruto, the series's protagonist.
The anime added to her background, revealing that she was a refugee in Kusagakure along with her mother and was forced to work as an enslaved person by healing others without her consent, which involved her being bitten by strangers. This list will consider anime characters like Karin based on the backstory that Studio Pierrot added and elements such as her toxic relationship with Sasuke.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the characters on this list. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.
10 anime characters like Karin from Naruto
1. Boa Hancock (One Piece)
Boa Hancock might not be most people's first choice when it comes to characters like Karin Uzumaki. Still, when considering the latter's anime-only backstory, there are a lot of similarities between them. The first one is that they were both enslaved when they were younger, using their abilities for their slaves' enjoyment.
Furthermore, Karin and Boa are shown to be very crass and rude to people, particularly men, except for the men they are in love with, Sasuke Uchiha and Monkey D. Luffy, respectively. However, it is fair to say that Luffy and Hancock have a much more positive relationship than Sasuke and Karin.
2. Rouge Redstar (Metallic Rouge)
Metallic Rouge is a recent Studio Bones production that has been making waves this year, and Rouge Redstar, the protagonist, has been well-received in the anime community. She is one of those characters like Karin because they have a similar struggle: a lack of free will.
One of Rouge's biggest struggles throughout the series is her lack of freedom and feeling that her mission with Naomi Orthmann for Aletheia was forced upon her. That was a running theme through Karin's life, focusing on serving the people of Kusagakure, later Orochimaru, and later Sasuke Uchiha.
3. Hana Kurusu (Jujutsu Kaisen)
It is fair to assume that Hana wouldn't be among characters like Karin because she has very different powers, their personalities are not similar, and their roles in their respective series are nothing alike. However, the reasons why they have a crush on Sasuke Uchiha and Megumi Fushiguro are very similar.
Both Karin and Hana developed a crush on those men when they were kids, which they maintained well into young adulthood. Furthermore, as a fun fact, Sasuke and Megumi are usually compared to one another.
4. Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan)
Most anime fans will agree that Mikasa had a lot more development in Attack on Titan than Karin in Naruto, and that would be true. Still, these two characters share similarities because of their upbringing and some of the toxic relationships they developed in their lives. Mikasa and Karin are fairly similar when it comes to that.
Both lost their families at an early age and went on to become enslaved at some point in their youth, eventually finding solace in other people. Mikasa and Karin also developed massive crushes on Eren Yeager and Sasuke Uchiha, respectively, with both characters being abusive towards them at certain points in their friendships.
5. Jolyne Cujoh (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Jolyne does qualify as one of those anime characters like Karin, but not because they share a lot of similar traits. Rather, she is a good example of what Karin could have been if Kishimoto had decided to give her a lot more relevance and development in the plot.
At the beginning of the sixth JoJo part, Stone Ocean, Jolyne is sent to prison because of her love for her toxic boyfriend, Romeo, and deals with a lot of abandonment issues and insecurities due to her childhood, much like Karin. However, Jolyne becomes a lot stronger and more independent throughout her story, which is something that, unfortunately, Karin didn't get.
6. Casca (Berserk)
When it comes to anime characters like Karin from Naruto, a very common theme is a history of abuse and being manipulated by a man they love. In that regard, very few characters in the medium have gone through the ordeal Berserk's Casca has dealt with.
Regarding their origins, Casca is one of those anime characters like Karin because they both found inspiration in the men who saved them when they were younger, Griffith and Sasuke, respectively. They both ended up serving those men, but both were ultimately discarded. However, Casca fared a lot worse, being a sacrifice for Griffith's ascension to the Godhand and abusing her in the process.
7. Raphtalia (The Rising of the Shield Hero)
There is a strong argument that Raphtalia is not only one of those anime characters like Karin but also a solid example of what could have been the latter's life if Kishimoto had given her a lot more development. They both had similar journeys when breaking it down, although their resolutions were fairly different.
Raphtalia and Karin were treated as enslaved people and had a lot of trauma to deal with, and they were both saved by the men they fell in love with. The main difference is that Raphtalia became a much stronger character and became equal to Naofumi, who saved her. At the same time, Karin was mistreated by Sasuke and was memory-holed in the series by Kishimoto.
8. Trish Una (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Another one of those anime characters is Karin, and another is from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, albeit from a different part, Golden Wind. They both share a connection to an important family in their respective series without them knowing while also dealing with a noticeable element of abuse.
However, Trish also gained a lot of character and independence throughout Golden Wind, even going as far as gaining her own Stand, Spice Girl. They start from a similar position as victims, although they follow in different directions.
9. Yukina (Yu Yu Hakusho)
The reason that Yukina ranks as one of those characters like Karin is because they were put in very similar situations. They were both captured and abused due to their unique abilities, with Karin's being her healing abilities and Yukina's being that of her tears turning into precious jewels.
Yukina is a rather passive character throughout Yu Yu Hakusho after she is rescued by Yusuke, Kuwabara, and her brother Hiei. However, she proves to be a major motivation for Kuwabara and Hiei for the remainder of the series.
10. Megumi Takani (Rurouni Kenshin)
Much like Yukina on this list, Megumi from Rurouni Kenshin is one of those characters like Karin because they were both used by evil people due to their unique skills. While this series is much more grounded in reality, Megumi was exploited because of her medical knowledge.
The last surviving member of her family, their medical knowledge rested on Megumi's shoulders, and some organizations utilized her to create drugs. These drugs took the lives of a lot of people, which led to Megumi having a lot of guilt when finding out, although she eventually broke free of that, thanks to Kenshin and his friends.
Final thoughts
When taking her backstory into account, there are a lot of anime characters like Karin because she became an orphan, an enslaved child, eventually served an evil individual like Orochimaru, and was mistreated by the man who saved her. It is a classic tale that proves the basis of Karin's character.
Related articles:
Naruto: Does Karin get the most undeserved hate in the series? Explained
Does Naruto ever find out that Karin was an Uzumaki?
Boruto: Why does Sarada look like Karin? explained
10 Naruto characters who lost their way in Boruto
10 strongest members of the Uzumaki clan in Naruto, ranked
